Bhubaneswar, Nov 25 (IANS): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written a letter to his Cabinet colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia for the operation of direct flight from Odisha capital Bhubaneswar to Dubai.

Pradhan has written the letter on the request of Odia Society UAE, Dubai. More than 10,000 Odia people live in the UAE and there has been a long standing demand for a direct flight to Dubai-Bhubaneswar and vice-versa, he said.

"A direct Dubai-Bhubaneswar flight shall be a gateway for Odia people for international travel and make it convenient for Odias living all over the world to connect to Odisha better and shall be instrumental to promote international tourism in the state including medical tourism," Pradhan said.

Citing an example for the need of the direct flight operation, he said, various traders, businesspersons and artists from Odisha are taking part in Dubai Expo 2020 and travel is essential for them.

Besides, the air communication between these cities will give a boost to the state economy through trade of artefacts, handlooms and farm produce etc, he added.